I flew out of Chicago O'Hare Airport at 12.30 pm and arrived in Tampa at 3.30 pm, where I picked up a hire car to drive to Siesta Key.

You may be wondering where are all the photos of NZ etc?? Well, they are all on CD's until I have time to sit down and select the ones I want to attach to my diary - I will get there and I hope you think it was worth the wait!!! In the meantime, I have to catch up with my notes.

I have now uploaded most of the photos - up to Chicago - they will be next!

Having been coming to Florida for 20 years, we have many friends here and therein lies the problem for me now. Most of these people were friends of my husband as well as myself, so it is very painful meeting up with them, going to our old haunts, golf courses, eating places etc - now on my own. It brings back all the wonderful times we had together and I find it sad that it will never be the same again. In spite of all this, I have received the warmest of welcomes and hospitality from all these very kind people - they have given of their time and support and I can never thank them enough. I had to get this off my chest.

I spent my time here in Florida visiting Michael's relatives on Vero Beach - I spent a week with them and had a really chilled-out time. Vero Beach is on the Atlantic coast of Florida - north of Palm Beach - the sea rolls in and is ideal for surfing. I like walking and Una and I had a few jaunts on the boardwalk and around the neighbourhood. We also went to a BBQ at a neighbour's house on Sunday, where the talk was all about aeroplanes - most people on this street have their own planes with hangars beside the houses and a private airstrip at the end of the garden!! They talk about planes just as I talk about golf - it is their hobby - building planes, flying them, going to airshows - that sort of thing! It was very interesting to listen to the conversations.

I also played some golf, visited friends in Venice, Sarasota, Longboat Key and Siesta Key during my stay.

A very good friend of mine, Judy, is a personal fitness trainer - she persuaded me to come to the gym with her and she gave me some weight training instruction - she obviously thought I needed knocking into shape - all that food and wine had taken it's toll!! I must admit I could get used to having my own personal trainer - it makes you more disciplined to carry out the regime - pity I could not take her home with me!!

Scott and Jodie were very kind to me and made me feel at home in their place. I went fishing with Scott but, I think I was more of a hindrance than a help - I have never been fishing in my life and the one fish I did manage to hook well, I lost it! Scott loves his fishing and has a boat fully equipped for deep sea fishing as well as local trips. I went to the Children's Circus in Sarasota - they were excellent - it is years since I have been to a circus and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The weather was marvellous during my stay in Florida but all good things come to an end. I had to return home on 12th April - just in time for Easter.